Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address while laying foundation stone, and dedicating to the Nation various Projects at Amod, Gujarat
Bharat Mata Ki Jai,
Bharat Mata Ki Jai,
On stage, the popular and dauntless Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Bhai Patel; my parliamentary colleague CR Patil who won the highest number of votes in the country during the 2019 elections and had set a new record; my Cabinet colleague and the son of Gujarat Shri Mansukh Bhai Mandaviya, all the ministers of the Government of Gujarat; MPs, MLAs and my dear brothers and sisters who have come here in large numbers to shower blessings on me!
Friends,
While coming here this morning I received one sad news. Mulayam Singh Yadav ji passed away today. Mulayam Singh Yadav ji’s passing away is a great loss to the country. My relationship with Mulayam Singh ji has been very special. Whenever we both used to meet as Chief Ministers, both of us used to feel a special bonding towards each other. When the Bharatiya Janata Party had chosen me for the Prime Minister’s post during the 2014 elections, I wanted to call and seek the blessings of some senior politicians of the country from the opposition too; the great personalities from the opposition whom I already knew. I still remember that day when I had asked for Mulayam Singh ji’s blessings. I have treasured his words of advice till this day. Mulayam Singh ji’s specialty was that he never stepped back from his blessings despite being amidst extreme political opposition. He had blessed me in 2013 and continued to bless me. He had once again blessed me during the last session of the Parliament in 2019. The words that a senior leader like Mulayam Singh ji had spoken inside the Parliament is a great blessing in the life of any political worker of this country. While standing in the Parliament, he had said those words without any political agenda. He had said – “Modi ji works by taking everyone into consideration and that is why I am sure that he will be elected again in 2019 and become the Prime Minister of the country”. How benevolent and generous-hearted he had been! I was fortunate that I kept on getting his blessings while he was alive. Today, I pay my respectful tributes to respected Mulayam Singh ji from this land of Gujarat on the banks of mother Narmada. I pray to God to give strength to his family and his supporters to bear this loss.
Friends,
I have come to Bharuch at a time when the country is celebrating the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Whenever we read the history of India and talk about the future, Bharuch is always discussed with pride. This land has given birth to many such personalities who have made the country proud by their work. For example, the son of this land Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi ji. The country can never forget his contribution in the making of the constitution. One cannot forget the role of Munshi Sahib, who had walked shoulder to shoulder with Sardar in the grand construction of the Somnath temple. Also, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur, the master of Indian music who had given great heights to Indian classical music had also been related with this soil. Seeking inspiration from the work of such great personalities, we are working to develop Gujarat and make Gujarat even more proud.
Brothers & Sisters,
The contribution of Bharuch is very crucial in the progress of both Gujarat and the entire country. There was a time when Bharuch was known only for its groundnuts. Today my Bharuch is famous for many other aspects like industry, business, trade and port.
And I can say that the foundation stone laying and inauguration works taking place today in Gujarat are worth more than the total annual budget of Gujarat of any previous government.
Brothers,
Gujarat has taken a massive stride and now Bharuch district has also become a cosmopolitan district. I believe we have our countrymen from almost all the states of India here. And speaking of the entire Bharuch district, you will find people from Kerala, Bengal and Bihar too. People from all over the country are present In this district. There was a time when Calcutta, Delhi and Mumbai were called Cosmopolitan. Today Gujarat has developed so much that many districts of Gujarat have become cosmopolitan and have assimilated the entire country with love. This is the height of Gujarat’s development journey.
Brothers and sisters
Today Gujarat has received its first bulk drug park and that too is located in Bharuch. Several plants related to the chemical sector have also been inaugurated. Besides, two big projects related to connectivity i.e. roads connecting Ankleshwar-Rajpipla and Statue of Unity – Ekta Nagar that were being discussed for several years have also been inaugurated. Even when I was the Chief Minister, this project was being discussed. Several important leaders from here were placed in Delhi. But no one would listen to us. The way Bharuch district is developing, it could not have relied on airports in Baroda or Surat. Bharuch should have its own airport. Hence, the foundation stone for a new airport at Ankleshwar is being laid today.
Friends,
Bharuch is such a district which has more industries than in many smaller states of the country. And these industries in this one district have set a major record in terms of providing employment. After such a volume of trade and business being carried out in the country and abroad, this new airport is going to take its development journey to a new height and momentum. With Narendra-Bhupendra’s double engine government, the work of the airport will also be completed very fast. With the construction of this airport, the movement of industrialists, and important officers to this area will intensify. The development will also accelerate. Exports will get a further boost.
Brothers & Sisters,
Today we can see a different picture of Gujarat. We have a new Gujarat. It has transformed and is now desperate to make that leap towards greater heights. But try to recall those days two decades ago. How does it feel? What was the identity of our Gujarat two decades ago? Traders used to pick up goods from one place and sell them at another place and would earn their living with that brokerage. This was our identity. We were behind in terms of both agriculture and industrial growth because we didn’t have the raw materials. In such a situation, today Gujarat has achieved great heights of development in the industrial sector by working hard within two decades. We all have created small networks of industries related to ports. We have developed our own ports and our coastline. And our tribal brothers and sisters as well as our fishermen brothers and sisters were in a miserable condition. No one even cared about them. The 20-22 or 25 year old youngsters today would not even be aware of the tremendous hardwork one had to put in order to live here. They wouldn’t even know that there was such a terrible situation in Gujarat at one point of time. But with tremendous hard work and with the cooperation of the people of Gujarat, we have reached this place today. And everyone is ready to take that next leap forward. And that is why in the coming days we need to make that leap. The ‘Amrit-Kaal’ has started with the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ or the 75 years of independence. Similarly, this golden period has started for the youth of Gujarat. Don’t let go of this golden period. When does development start happening at any place, brothers? If you want to develop, you should have a compatible environment and an encouraging environment without any obstacles. And most of all, there is a need for rules and regulations, the best quality infrastructure as well as policies and objectives. Nothing happens with policy alone. Even if the policy is really good, but the intention or willpower is not there, the entire project goes haywire. Who does not know Bharuch? You are aware of the problems that used to be there if someone had to visit ‘Panch Batti’ in the evening. You are well aware of the law and order situation. There were days when someone would be kidnapped or would get threats to vacate the house. But today the law and order situation has allowed the people of Bharuch to live peacefully.
And everyone has got the benefit of it, isn’t it? Earlier a few used to get the benefit but now it’s not like that. Speaking of a peaceful living and law and order situation, our tribal brothers and the poor get the maximum benefit of it. Otherwise, in Bharuch, we are well aware of the way the tribal girls were treated after giving them work. As a result, the tribals used to express their anger against them. But later when I got the support of our tribal brothers and sisters, they kept showering their blessings on me. There was a time when healthcare facilities were not accessible here. One had to go all the way to Surat or Baroda for Hospitals. Despite living on the banks of Mother Narmada, we had to yearn for water. I have seen such miserable days. I still remember that years ago there was a drinking water crisis in Bharuch. Besides, there are many religious places in Bharuch district. Despite the presence of Narmada river, the people were hesitant to develop it. There was an attempt to kill the soul of India. Brothers and sisters, all this was about 20 years ago. It is natural for the 20-25 year old youngsters to be unaware about it. But when you gave me a chance to serve you, we took note of each and every problem and kept solving the problems. We started looking for solutions and the situation started changing for the better. When it comes to law and order, the big criminals and heavy offenders were thrown into jail. Gradually they realised that they have to walk on the right path. Therefore, the children of Gujarat today do not know the word ‘curfew’. Otherwise, curfew used to be imposed on Bharuch every now and then. And today’s women wouldn’t even know that the elderly people in their house had to face a lot of problems in order to play Garba in the past. Today in Gujarat, girls are able to go to schools and colleges in Baroda safely. There are able to travel to different places in the state in a care-free way for education. Now Bharuch district has also made a tremendous development in the field of education. If a girl wants to work till late at night and wants to go home from the railway station or the bus station, there is no trace of fear in her mind. We all have created that situation. Right now a national sports event is going on here. Thousands of players from across the country are currently present in Gujarat. After finishing the game, when they go to see the Garba in the evening, they are spellbound on watching the celebrations for the whole night. It feels as if there is no night. Brothers and sisters, industrial development was necessary if Bharuch was to be developed. And at this time Baroda-Vapi was the main highway. People used to cheer on seeing a few factories nearby and think of it as industrial development. But we noticed that there were certain pockets of undeveloped areas that we must develop. And to develop tribal areas, we brought industrial development to Jhagadia. We took the industries to dry areas, due to which the agricultural land remained safe and at the same time industrial development also took place. And today Gujarat has become a manufacturing hub and an export hub. Two decades ago, no one could have imagined it. Today, Dahej-II, Dahej-III, Saykha, Vilayat have become the new doors of development when it comes to modern highways. The Ro-Ro ferry service has emerged as a huge force of development. Dahej is a special investment region. Its strength is going to expand several times now. Consequently, the benefits of the liberal policies of the Gujarat government are being reaped. And we are particularly getting the benefits of the work that was going on in the field of petroleum, chemical and petro-chemical. And gradually, thousands of crores of rupees of MUDRA investment has flown from around the world into Dahej and the entire Bharuch district, brothers. And 80 percent of the production that happens goes to the other countries of the world too. We work hard and the money or the profit comes back in dollars. This is the vital contribution made by Dahej and the Bharuch district. Today, Dahej has turned into a model for the entire country and the entire sector connected with chemical and petroleum.
Brothers Sisters,
The new projects that have been launched today are not only increasing the power of my Gujarat, but are also making my Bharuch district extremely vibrant. And also taking into consideration the new plants that have been developed here, this double engine government has become a perfect example of double benefits. The Gujarat and the central government companies are also participating in these chemical plants. The chemical manufacturing industries being set up here are also going to benefit the textiles industry. You are well aware that if the textile industry benefits, then the farmer who produces cotton also benefits. This sector provides the highest employment opportunities. Our weaver brothers and sisters get the greatest benefit from it. The same goes for fertilizers. And we are famous for fertilizers. The essential chemicals and fertilizers produced in Bharuch reach across the country. Due to the GACL Chemical Plant, a new turnover of more than Rs 2500 crores will be made with a foreign exchange of Rs 700 crore. It Is going to be a great service for the country. It is, in a way, an act of patriotism. And Bharuch is doing the same. Coming to Bharuch today, I wish to remind you that every citizen can make a huge contribution if the country is to be taken forward at a rapid pace. Ordinary citizens can take the country forward. Now you might be wondering that if a person is working hard for oneself, then how will he take the country forward? Let us take the mantra of ‘vocal for local’. One can decide to stay away from any kind of foreign product. Diwali is around the corner. There are certain firecrackers in the market that light up the sky but are foreign made. These ruin the hardwork of several poor people of our country. But if we buy the crackers ‘made in India’, probably the light, brightness or the sound might be a little low but your gesture will brighten up the houses of my poor brothers. Those crackers might or might not illuminate the sky for long but the coming 12 months of the poor will be illuminated. So why shouldn’t we purchase Indian goods? A single factory here can save Rs 700 crore. The citizens of my Bharuch district should make a decision. They too can save the capital of my country this way.
Brothers and sisters,
You will be glad to know one thing. In 2014, you sent me to Delhi with your blessings. I had the experience of the work I had done earlier in Gujarat along with your blessings and values. So when I went to Delhi in 2014, India ranked 10th in terms of the world economy. Today India has reached number 5. Moreover, the country’s pride and glory grew manifold when the rank went up from 6 to 5, because the country that had ruled over us for 250 years was ranked 5th before. Now leaving them behind, this enthusiastic youth of my country has taken my country forward. And the young generation, farmers, labourers, small traders, small start-ups are all responsible for this achievement today. And the credit for taking the country from number 10 to 5 goes to your hard work. And I salute such hardworking people of the country.
Brothers and sisters,
Another work is underway in Bharuch that we can be proud of. We are aware that in the past if someone used to create a place for offering drinking water to travellers, people used to remember the gesture for generations. If someone could quench his or her thirst there, they used to shower blessings because it is vital for life. Similarly today the Government of India is setting up a huge park for the production of medicines that will save the lives of the people. So, the people of Bharuch are doing a great humanitarian work. You will be feeling proud that countless lives are about to be saved because of you. Moreover, thousands of new jobs are going to be created. We have seen the way the Corona crisis had gripped the whole world. How big a crisis had struck us! Everyone had just one question – ‘how to survive the crisis?’ That is when we realised how important this pharma sector is! And the leap that Gujarat has made in the last two decades, as well this system have helped Gujarat in fighting the battle against Corona. The medicines and vaccines made in Gujarat have saved the lives of lakhs of people. You will be glad to know that today 25 percent of the country’s pharma companies are from Gujarat. Talking to you today, I am also reminded of those days when some people had done everything possible to stop the development of Bharuch. Several obstacles and impediments were placed on the expansion of industries in Bharuch-Ankleshwar. But when our government was formed at the Centre, Gujarat got the double engine power of ‘Narendra-Bhupendra’ and then we removed all these obstacles. Look at the power of your hardwork, brothers. Earlier some people tried to stop the work of the Bhadbhut barrage. Work was being done for Bharuch so that the people living here could get potable drinking water for 24 hours and also to water the fields of Bharuch district. There was a hindrance in that too. Some people with Naxalite-mentality had first tried hard to stop the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam, and later these Urban Naxals were trying to block this project in a new form. They have changed their dresses and form and are luring a section of fervid youth. I want to specially tell my tribal brothers that Naxalism which had started in Bengal and had later spread to Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, some parts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra, Telangana and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra has destroyed the lives of our tribal youth. They have given guns to them and provoked them to play the game of death. As a result, the crisis had gripped the entire area. At that time the challenge in front of me was to not allow the entry and expansion of Naxalism from the eastern side i.e. the entire belt from Umargam to Ambaji. I needed to save my tribal brothers and sisters. I would not let that type of disease enter their lives. So, we developed the stretch from Umargam to Ambaji. And I must say with great satisfaction that my tribal brothers and sisters took my words seriously and believed that “good days are bound to come”. Consequently, Naxalism could not enter Gujarat through that route. For that I express my gratitude to my tribal brothers and sisters. But now urban naxals are trying to enter from above. I don’t want the young generation of Gujarat to get destroyed. We should warn our children that urban naxals are trying to destroy the country. They have come here as agents of foreign forces. Gujarat will never surrender to them. We must move ahead with the belief that Gujarat will destroy them. We have had tribal chief ministers here, yet there were hardly any science stream schools between Umargam and Ambaji. Now you tell me, despite having reservations for tribals, if there is no science in 10th and 12th class then how will a boy or a girl become a doctor? If a student wants to become a doctor or an engineer, first he/she needs a science school in 10th and 12th. But that too did not happen. There were tribal chief ministers here but not enough schools from Umargam to Ambaji. Once I came to power, I made sure there were enough science schools for classes 10 to 12 throughout the stretch. And today my tribal brothers and sisters go to Canada for pilot training or are becoming doctors and lawyers. And with great pride I am saying that my tribal children are bringing glory to Gujarat. No one can even imagine that there is a university named after a tribal – Birsa Munda University. Similarly, Guru Gobind University in Gujarat has given new confidence and new opportunities to the tribal youth.
Brothers and sisters,
In Gujarat, Van Bandhu Yojana has played a major role in the empowerment of tribal society. We tried to ensure that my tribal community could engage in animal husbandry and the farmers could engage in modern farming so that their lives could transform. Let me give you an example of the schemes that used to be run for the tribals. During the regime of previous governments, there was a scheme through which loans were given for five chickens. And the tribal people would be happy thinking these chickens would produce eggs that would bring in more chickens and they would be in a position of building a pucca house in a few days. However, the reality was far from it. Once the scheme’s benefit was availed, the same day some VIP would arrive at their village in a car with red beacon and would decide to stay there. Now the tribal brothers are always ahead in terms of hospitality. So, they would cook one of the chickens and serve that guest. Our tribal brothers never allow scarce resources or lack of money to come in the way of their hospitality. The same continues for 2-4 months and they lose all their hens and eggs. However, we came and changed the lives of our tribal brothers and sisters.
Brothers and sisters,
The contribution of our tribal people in this development journey is immense. We declared Tribal Day so that the Birthday of Lord Birsa Munda is worshiped as our tribal god. In the entire country including Gujarat, memorials were built in the memory of the tribals who had fought in the war of independence. Even today, we have thought about the production in the tribal areas. We have sped up work both for my tribal brothers and my fishermen brothers. In the coming time, Bharuch-Ankleshwar is also going to develop like Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar. People will also talk about Bharuch Ankleshwar like New York-New Jersey. This is the system that introduces our potential. And I would like to tell the youth that the coming 25 years are for you. Come here and embark upon the journey of development. Let’s move ahead shoulder to shoulder. Today you have come here in such a large number! We have resolved to fulfil a new vow in the development journey of Gujarat. Therefore, my brothers and sisters living on the banks of Narmada, my best wishes to you! Let’s take Bharuch district to new heights! Speak with me – Bharat Mata ki Jai, Bharat Mata ki Jai, Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Disclaimer: This is an approximate translation of the Prime Minister's speech. Most of the original speech was in Gujarati language.